Diary Report #281 (for November 2015)
December 22, 2015
To: Carolyn, Cliff, Pauline, Chet and Dolores, Lori, Alan, Marcia, Pastor Adonis, David and Phyllis, Doris, Stan and Barbara, Pastor Bobby, and Pastor Danny
Merry Christmas to All!
- I put into the last Diary Report Prophetic Messages #804 and #805.
- I will put into this Diary Report Prophetic Messages #810 and #811.
- I put into the last Garner News Prophetic Message #808 from Father God.
- I will put into the next Garner News Prophetic Message #813 from Lord Jesus.
- I put with the monthly 86 charity checks for December Prophetic Messages #807 and #809.
- I will put with the monthly 86 charity check for January Prophetic Message #812.
Well, this has been a very busy month, and there are several things that I want to report on:
- The weekly prophetic messages of 50 that I’m giving to many pastors for church growth,
- The success of my second annual Christmas Open House Art Show and Sale,
- What God’s Holy Spirit is teaching me about my creating art,
- What I’m expecting to do with my art paintings after I relocate to the Atlanta area in July.
- My annual trip to the Appalachian Mountains to take used clothing, toys, baby quilts, and other gifts, to Shirley Terry’s Our Father’s House ministry to poor people.
Last Sunday I gave Prophetic Message #15 of 50 that Father God is giving to me to give to Pastor Danny and other Christian pastors for church growth. I give out three copies to Pastor Danny, Pastor Adonis, and to David and Phyllis Garner at church after the third service each Sunday morning. Then I mail them out to 15 other pastors that I know of, throughout the USA. I seem to never know what to write in the cover letter to go with these prophetic messages to the pastors, but God’s Holy Spirit just leads me to share my Christian experiences with them. He told me to NOT give suggestions for corrections or for improvements, as this is God’s job. So I try to obey God in this. If anyone on this list wants to receive these 50 prophetic messages for church growth, either for you or for your pastor, please let me know, and I will mail them to you, free, of course. God has promised that if these pastors will preach 50 sermons based on these 50 prophetic messages from Father God, that at the end of the 50 sermons, their church attendance will double, and their church finances will double.
Father God has told me to work on these weekly two prophetic messages four mornings a week, and do them FIRST before I work on other projects. He said that if I will do this, and work on the other five monthly projects, of three a day, that the work will just flow, and it will be like “waltzing with Jesus.” If I will follow this advice, the work will get out on time each week and each month. Especially if I will learn to do what Jesus tells me to do: “I want you in bed by 10 o’clock with the lights out.” I find this is easier to do, if I will turn off the computer by 9:15 p.m.
Well, thanks to our Lord God and to Karen Holmes, my second annual Open House Art Show and Sale was more successful this year than last year. Last year, 11 paintings sold for $345.00, and I was able to give to my seven Jewish charities $50.00 each. Praise God. This year, 17 paintings and many packs of note cards sold for about $700.00 and 90% of the income was given to the purchaser’s favorite charities. Also, thanks to Karen for getting out all my printed note cards and packaging them up. We sold them six to a pack for $3.00 or two packs for $5.00. These were printed color note cards that I had created years ago, of 6 lighthouses, 6 roses, 6 orchids, 6 Guatemalan people, 6 Hawaiian flowers, and some commercially printed ones of Christmas angels and yellow roses. Also, I had created some children’s coloring cards of two designs, just printed in black lines, and they sold six of same design in a pack for $2.00 a pack, or two packs for $3.00. Several packs of note cards sold, and this encouraged me greatly, to design, paint, and have more note cards printed for next year. The paintings that sold were mostly of butterflies, flowers, birds, a cross, and a landscape. Pam Morris wanted me to paint a “blond angel in blues,” so I did that for her in watercolors. Also, Dolores Leone wanted me to paint some barn pictures. So, before next years third annual Open House Art Show and Sale near Atlanta, I want to paint some angel pictures and some barn/landscape pictures. I would like to paint 8 of each, select the 6 best of each group, and print up some note cards.
I have always wanted to create my own note cards business. Once I looked into it, with selling them at all the Walmart stores. They sent me a packet of information about how to get started with it, and told me that money was available for a start-up company, especially favorable for loans to women and minorities. It was a definite “green light” to get started, but my frugal husband, Hugh Davies, was like my frugal dad, Grover Garner, who were allergic to my going into debt for anything. However, since Hugh and Dad are no longer around, I may save my money, and “go for it.” After all, the Bible says in Psalm 1:1-3, that if you will read your Bible daily, and keep away from bad influences, that whatever you do will prosper. So, how can I lose?
Karen not only packaged up hundreds of packs of note cards, but she also was a great help with the art show, by preparing and arranging and decorating the house and tables, by hanging the paintings, by helping with the advertising flyer, by posting the event on Facebook, by helping me select the proper snacks to be served, and by her serving the snacks, keeping the cold foods cold. After we got all the paintings hung, she typed up the list of about 87, and we put the price by each title. She made extra copies of the list and put a list in each of the four downstairs rooms and hallway. I told the Lord that I could not do this Christmas Open House that He wants me to do every year. He told me, “I have sent Karen to help you and for you to help her. Next year, I will send someone to help you with your Open House Art Show and Sale.” He told me, “Your paintings will sell at your Open House and online. You do not need to rent a booth at Stone Mountain to sell your art work.” He also told me a few months ago, “When you move to Atlanta, buy a large house, so you can keep having your Christmas Open House Art Show and Sale.” Houses in the Marietta, GA area cost a lot less than they do in Brentwood. My house here is 2,946 sq. ft., and I could buy one there nearly twice this size for what this one would sell for here. I’ve been praying about which house to buy there.
When the artist, Thomas Kincade, passed away at age 54, his income from the sale of his paintings was four million dollars a year. People were lined up to buy his finished paintings at $300,000.00 each. If the person at the head of the line didn’t like the particular painting Kincade had just finished and didn’t want to buy it, he was moved to the back end of the line, to wait his turn again. I can just almost hear my Grandma Carrie Garner in heaven saying to me, “Whatsa’ matter? Didn’t you graduate from the same Art College that Kincade only attended? Don’t you worship the same God that Kincade used to worship? And best yet, aren’t you a GARNER??!!! So, let’s get with it!!” Thomas Kincade did not give God the credit for his success, or he would still be alive and still be painting. I always want to give God credit for any and for ALL the success in my life. I saw a cleaver cartoon once that showed the parents of “Jr.,” right after a Picasso painting sold at auction for several million dollars. The wife said, “Jr. wants to leave art school and go to medical college! Talk some sense into the boy, Pa!”
God told me once, “Your greatest income will be from the sale of your books.” I have now self- published two, and now have three more half finished, and have another one that I want to research and publish. Praise God for the joy of publishing books and doing other fun projects. Working on books is supposed to be one of my six monthly projects. Joy!
When I was getting ready for the Open House Art Show, I painted eight small watercolor paintings in eight days, that I already had the frames for. I was painting some butterflies, birds, and flowers. Father God spoke to me and said something like this: “Art work doesn’t have to be the Sistine Chapel to glorify God. Little paintings of butterflies, birds, and flowers can also glorify God.” Praise God. He is so very encouraging to me in my art work. God has simplified my painting for me, as He wants me to paint daily. He showed to me that if I will paint nine colors a day for six days a week, that I will complete 100 paintings in one year, to get ready for my yearly art show and sale. When I got busy with all my other projects, and was wasting a lot of time daily, God told me, “Paint a minimum of three colors a day.” If I will paint only the three minimum colors a day, this will enable me to complete three paintings a month, or 36 paintings a year.
My painting in oils has a definite problem. I have no trouble researching and selecting the subject matter, drawing the composition, putting it onto canvas, and painting the overall base coat. Then I completely abandon the project, including several dozen painting projects that I have begun, many of which I have promised to do for other people. If I put on the top coat, I would have to balance the color relationships, and paint in all the details. The Lord has shown to me that “fear of what people will think” is holding me back. I’m afraid that people will not like the finished product. The Lord gave me a prophetic dream about this recently. In my dream, it showed my deceased husband, Hugh, helping me to cover a red chair with a red fabric, cover a blue chair with a blue fabric, and cover a yellow stool with a yellow fabric. After I woke up, I asked Father God for the interpretation to that dream. When you dream of a person who is deceased, it means that they are praying for you. So Hugh was praying for me to put the top layer onto all of the paintings and to finish what I have begun and abandoned. My biggest hang-up in finished paintings by me is the color harmony. All color harmony comes from the mixture of the three primary colors of red, blue, and yellow. My dream showed us using the three primary colors for covers for the chairs and stool.
When I was painting a butterfly in watercolors, getting it ready for the Art Show and Sale, I knew to paint the butterfly in the exact shape and colors that were true to the butterfly, as God had told me once when I was painting orchids, “First, do no harm.” I always try to obey God in this, as I know God is the Master Designer, and I could never improve on the shapes and color combinations in God’s designs. So I put warm colors behind the top cool-colored wings of the butterfly, and put cool colors behind the bottom warm-colored wings of the butterfly, as color contrast with warm and cool colors is always good. I thought that the watercolor painting was finished, so I put it up to observe it. Then God’s Holy Spirit showed to me SEVEN improvements to make to improve the design, with six of the improvements on the background painting. The only improvement to make on the butterfly itself, was to darken the tip of the upper wings, like a shadow was on part of them. I made the improvements He showed to me, and this was the first painting that sold at my recent Open House, bought by my friend Doris Long. Praise God. So, as a result of this, when I paint my daily three colors, I want to put the unfinished painting up, look at it from a distance, and then WAIT until God’s Holy Spirit shows to me what three colors to paint! God’s Holy Spirit will HELP me to finish all the many paintings I have begun. Praise God. I now have about 50 paintings started that I need to finish, painting three colors a day on one of them, until they are all complete. God has shown me that all these paintings are like a big vegetable garden, with different amounts of growth on each vegetable, and if I will faithfully obey God in painting on one daily, God will help me overcome the fear of finished paintings. Praise God.
Today is December 25, Christmas Day. This morning I had an interesting dream. I dreamed that I saw the numbers 187 written in white. I woke up and still remembered the dream. I went back to sleep, and dreamed the same dream again of the white numbers of 187. When I woke up, I remembered the dream again, and wondered if it had anything to do with the sale of my house this summer. I plan to put it on the market for sale the first of June, and hope it sells sometime during the month of July, as that is when Lori and John and Alan are able to help me to relocate to the Marietta, GA area. I got a calendar for the year 2016, and counted l87 days forward, beginning the day after Christmas, which is June 29. I prayed and asked Father God what was the meaning of the dream? He said, “Your house will sell on June 29.” Praise God for the dream and for the interpretation of the dream. Only time will tell if that is a true prophetic dream or not. I have not yet decided if I should hire a Realtor to list it for me, or if I should try to sell it by owner. I have heard that there is a list of buyers ready to purchase in this neighborhood, as it is close to I-65, close to Nashville, close to Cool-Springs Mall, and has excellent schools for all grade levels, which are important to some buyers.
In last Sunday’s sermon at Oasis Church, Pastor Danny told that it is important for some people to relocate in order for their talents and abilities to have more opportunities to thrive. He told of Frank Sinatra relocating from a small town in New York to New York City, for his singing career to thrive. My housemate, Pat, while I lived in Seattle while attending the U. of Wash., had Frank Sinatra as her favorite singer. At the time, she had every recording he ever made and played them often.
In my case, I know that by myself relocating to be near the Atlanta, GA area, it will benefit my art career greatly. When I visited my daughter Lori and her family there at Thanksgiving, she told me about their large Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church of 7, 000 members. I know they have a rotating monthly painting exhibit hanging in their main lobby, in which I could possibly participate. She also told me that before the Christmas holidays, that their church has booth rentals for arts and crafts for one Saturday, for $99.00, with the rental money going toward missions. She told me, “The booth is size 8′ by 8′, and the sign-up day is in May, when you pay the fee and reserve the booth. You could sell your small paintings and note cards in the booth, and could pass out your flyers to advertise your Christmas Open House at home, where you could sell your larger paintings and more note cards.” Lori also told me about three other places which have booth-rentals for arts and crafts sales before Christmas, of another large church, and of two large schools. The booth rental fees benefit their churches and their schools. One of the large schools is Walton High School where Lori teaches. It is a five-day event with the rental fee being $250.00, I think I remember she said. Since the school is so large, note cards may sell well there, where there are more customers available. Also in the Atlanta area, is an orchid house that is open to the public year round, which attracts many tourists. Inside the orchid house is a wall displaying many orchid paintings for sale, with a rotating exhibit. Since I have so many orchid paintings, I may look into the possibility of exhibiting there.
Also, Lori’s large Methodist Church is very active with summer missions. They sponsor week-long trips for their members, by paying half of each member’s expense, to foreign countries of central and south America and to parts of Europe. I hope to participate in these mission trips of at least visiting one foreign country each summer. I could make photos of the people, churches, city streets, landscapes, come home and use my photo research to paint paintings of the foreign country, and offer them for sale. Since I am a professional artist, I can claim the other half of my travel expenses on my income taxes. I asked my CPA is this was legal for me to do with my taxes, and he replied, “Yes, it is, but you must have some income for you to charge the expenses against.” So we’ll see what our God will do in GA.
Sherry Cline and I took a trip to Duff, TN to take a car load of used adult clothes, children’s clothes and shoes, books, DVDs, baby quilts, and dish soap for Shirley Terry to give to the Mountain people. Sherry and I left Nashville at 7:00 a.m. on the first Friday of December, and drove the five-hour trip east and north in Tennessee. We met Shirley and her family about noon their Eastern time. They unloaded my car. We visited with them for about an hour. Their annual Christmas party was scheduled for the next day, where they would feed 700 children and have Santa give each a new gift-wrapped toy. Shirley planned to give out baskets of food and used clothing to every family present. Shirley and her helpers would cook the meals for the workers in Shirley’s kitchen. About 300 adult workers were scheduled to attend. Other people from the churches would grill hot dogs outside for the children’s lunch. Shirley said that her back was hurting from unpacking yesterday more than 120 large boxes of tee-shirts that had been given for the children. She said that about half of the tee-shirts were dirty and couldn’t be used. At first, I thought she meant they had to be laundered, but when she said, “We cut off the backs of them to be used for cleaning rags, and burned the fronts of them,” I knew she meant that vulgar writings were printed on the fronts. She said, “No way was I going to give those dirty shirts to the children!” Sherry and I left there for our five hour ride home, stopping at Cracker Barrel for a late lunch, stopping several other times, and arrived home about 8:30 p.m. It was a fun, safe, joyful trip.